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Hanlan’s Point nudists want beach-goers to bare all

Two friends who hit the beach at Hanlan’s Point last weekend found themselves telling men in the buff to back off.

At first, Cailey Root, 29, and Gordon Veldhoen, 32, thought the two nude men who approached them were just being cheeky, asking them to take their clothes off on the boardwalk.

Friends Cailey Root and Gordon Veldhoen said they were confronted by naturists at Hanlan's Point Sunday, who told them they had to take off their clothes before hitting the beach. Root and Veldhoen ignored the two men and Root posted about the experience on Reddit as a warning to other beach-goers. (JESSICA BOTELHO-URBANSKI / Toronto Star)

Naturist David Fleming, left, and Gene Dare carry signage at Hanlan's Point Beach last summer.Fleming, 67, was at the beach Sunday, but said he didn’t ask anyone to bare it all. (Andrew Francis Wallace / Toronto Star File Photo)

Hanlan’s Point has hosted thousands of exposed beach bums since it was officially designated as “clothing optional” in 2002. Still, taking one’s clothes off isn’t required to go on the beach.

Often, naturists will approach clothed people on the beach and encourage them to strip down, but rarely are they forceful about it, said Veldhoen, who goes to the beach nearly every weekend.

“I think it was a little bit worse, too, because Cailey had never been there before … so her introduction to the beach was these guys harassing her,” he said.

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As the friends entered the boardwalk and took off their shoes, two men – whom they described as nude, tanned and in their 60s – butted in.

“They were like, ‘okay, well that’s a start. But you need to take the rest of your clothes off,’’” Root said. “I had never been there before and if I wasn’t with my friend, I would have just gone home because it felt super unwelcoming and really unsettling.”

What do you think?

The friends ignored the comments and went to the beach. They also spotted laminated signs on nearby poles, telling people to undress.

One sign read: “UNDRESS STATION. BEYOND this place, YOU should be NUDE. For the COMFORT OF THE NUDISTS AND to show respect for the nudists.” Below, the word “CLOTHES” was circled in red with a slash running through it. Another sign read “NUDIST ZONE AHEAD” with an arrow pointing forward.

Once the city got the skinny on the unauthorized signs, the placards were removed, said Matt Cutler, a spokesman for the city’s parks, forestry and recreation department. At least one “NUDIST ZONE AHEAD” sign remained Monday evening when the Star visited.

Cutler said the illegal signs are being looked into and he doesn’t know whether the city will pursue “legal enforcement.” Anyone who violates the sign bylaw is liable to a fine between $500 and $100,000.

Dave Fleming, 67, was at the beach Sunday, but said he didn’t ask anyone to bare it all. He’s part of the Hanlan’s Beach Naturists Club and has visited the shores nearly every summer weekend since 1999.

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“To the general population in North America, who don’t have European experience… they don’t know the true meaning of ‘clothing optional,’” Fleming said. “They make up their own definition, which is: don’t I have the right to wear clothes?”

“It’s okay if there are just a few people, but now there’s a tsunami of clothed people,” he continued. “They’ve taken over the beach.”

Sometimes Fleming hands out pamphlets to the clothed beach-goers about naturist clubs and camping spots around North America. He has also set up an information table on the beach with fellow naturist, Gene Dare.

Dare has been visiting Hanlan’s for 16 years and helps set up games for the public, like volleyball, scoop ball and Frisbee. He also contributes to the naturists’ weekend potlucks at the beach.

“Everybody has a good time, but there are people who come in and I think they sometimes do it on purpose – they actually sit there and gawk,” he said. “People from the clothing side are coming over to the naked side and making the naked people feel awkward.”

Fleming asked for a meeting with the area councilor, Pam McConnell, to discuss the turmoil at Hanlan’s. McConnell was traveling Tuesday and unavailable to comment. A spokesman from her office said they received Fleming’s call and will get back to him shortly about a meeting in the flesh.

Attire is required while visiting all other areas of the Toronto Islands except the southern portion of Hanlan’s. There are nine other beaches where clothing is mandatory around the islands.

Fleming hopes to change Hanlan’s Point’s designation from “clothing optional” to “nude beach” to quash misunderstandings. He can’t bear to see the beach peppered with people in clothes.

“You have to be tough to be a nudist. You can’t have any weakness. You have to be determined, you have to have courage. Otherwise you should wait until you’re ready to go and be nude before you cross into an area designated for nude use,” he said.

As for Root and Veldhoen, they insist they’re not prudes about being nude.

“I do go in the nude every time I’m there,” Veldhoen said. “But I really don’t care for someone telling me when I’m going to do that, especially at a clothing optional beach.”

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